Cloth Diapering is Frugal????

My children are the most significant and valuable creation I have ever had anything to do with. I am fairly sure that most other parents feel the same way! Unfortunately the recession has hit us hard and for a long time I was so short sighted I didn't bother to look beyond the tip of my nose.

So, even though I wanted the very best for my children...I would read something about cloth diapering and then think to myself "Meh...it's too expensive - that's for rich people!" or I'd think "Meh...I"m just not that 'crunchy'." And on more than one occasion "I don't want to have to deal with washing cloth diapers and washing the poop out - that's just flat out gross!"

While I was pregnant with my daughter in 2007 I read up on all sorts of parenting information and advice and gave cloth diapering a cursory glance but it was only granted that much attention because the information fell into my lap. I gave it ye olde glance and moved on. After she was born I took the very best care of her, I made sure that I used all the right detergents and ate all the right foods (I was nursing) and did everything I could to make her world the VERY MOST attached to mommy it could be. (don't believe me? You should read my seven page birth plan from her birth!)

When she started solids she only had organic food to eat and didn't eat non-organic food until she was almost a year old. She has now had a rash/diaper prob


When I was pregnant with Lila in 2007 I didn't really seriously consider cloth diapering. I thought about it but was appalled at the pricing of the cloth diapers. While pregnant with Tyler I thought about it and was in love with the idea of cloth diapering but was living in an exceptionally small town in west TN with no resources at all...but.... I am starting to seriously consider converting over to at least half time cloth diapering. I figure I have probably 18 months left minimum of diapers since Bubby is almost 6 months old.

There are three factors that I am taking into my decision making process...
1- Financial impact to me.
2- My impact on The Environment
3- Diapers impact on my baby's skin

Financial Impact
Do you know how much cloth diapers cost? Without googling?...on average - 15.00 a diaper. I will wait while you climb back up off the floor! That seems obscene until you realize the number of diapers an average child goes through. One man actually tracked how many diapers his daughter wore. Some people will keep records of anything...this guy kept a record of every time his daughter did ANYTHING right down to the number of diapers she wore for the first year of life. Right around 2,472 diapers! (This was posted a few days before her first birthday) I got a huge belly laugh out of the last paragraph of that post.

Assuming a cost of .31 a diaper you would be looking at a cost of $766.32 for the first year of life based on the number there. If you assume your child won't potty train until at least age 2 you are looking at a nice chunk of change (over $1500!!!) To compare: 36 cloth diapers at $15.00 a diaper costs $540 plus tax. Then you can reuse them. Over and over and over. Even if you bought 36 of a smaller size and 36 of a larger size (and didn't go for the one size fits all) you would spend $1080 which is daunting BUT if you are facing two children in diapers it may be well worth it! Not to mention you could get a cheap try-it kit to see if cloth diapering is for you before a huge investment is made. $34.89 and it includes enough cloth diapers to get you through one day of cloth diapering your baby. 6 prefold diapers, 2 super wrap covers, and one snappi. (The snappi is something that you use to close the diaper instead of pins)

Ecological Impact:
Just how much space in a landfill are your diapers going to take up anyway? This really hit home when I started using a diaper genie type thing instead of just putting a few diapers in the trash each day. I never realized HOW MUCH of my trash was just disposable diapers...

Chemical impact on my children:
Unless you are using 100% organic diapers (Huggies Pure & Natural are made with organic cotton and have fewer dyes in them but are more expensive - they may cost the same but look at the diaper counts) your diapers are putting chemicals on your children's skin. It may not be many and that may not be important to you. I have noticed before that one of the big brands of disposable diapers smells a little like charcoal at times. The girl has had an off and on rash in the diaper area now for 9 months almost. I have to wonder if it isn't the chemicals present in her diapers. My brother was allergic to disposable diapers in the 70's and mom had to cloth diaper him.

If you are still reading congratulations! you knew I had a point!! One of my online friends (The first time around) is having a total diaper bash this week!

Featuring products & giveaways from the following companies plus more:

*For Baby With Love (Happy Heiny Review) * FuzziBunz * The Natural Baby Company (Gro Baby) * DryBees *Seventh Generation * Snap-Ez Eco * NuBunz * The Diaper Sprayer * Rockin Green Soap * KissaLuv * Thirsties * Kushies * Baby Bunz (Snugglebottom Diaper) * CuddleWuddle.com * Baby Legs * A Nurturing Moment * My Sweet Punkin Patch * MORE

So if you are interested in learning more about cloth diapering i recommend adding her to your reading list for the week and entering her giveaways - You may learn something and come away with a few products to help you try out Cloth Diapering!! :)